Greenwood Working & Woodland Crafts

Fernhurst Furnace 2009 – The Dead May Rise…..

The Sealed Knot always put on a good show for the Fernhurst Furnace weekend and this year was no exception. Sir Marmaduke Rawden’s regiment of foote is a part of the Sealed Knot’s Royalist army and spend the summer re-enacting the famous civil war battles. Although a small group, about 50 or more re-enactors, come to the weekend it’s a case of quality rather than quantity. This year the living history group established an authentic camp right next to the arena which further added to the atmosphere of the event.

Demonstrating in the woods I don’t normally get to see much of the Sealed Knot demonstration but this year I took time off to watch as much of the spectacle as I could manage, though as it meant leaving my stand unattended I had to rush to and fro a bit. The action starts with the pike and musket men marching into the arena from the campsite to the beat of a drummer.

Then the audience are introduced to the role and weaponry of the foot soldiers , an opportunity to show off their drill with the pikes and muskets and the two small cannon to much shouting of orders and banging of feet and arms. There were twenty four commands for the loading of the muskets alone which took some minutes when performed in this way, though only about 30 seconds when each soldier was allowed to reload in their own time.

Then they set up for a skirmish, or minor battle, involving all of the elements in which the foot soldiers attack the cannon. The cannon are the highlight of the show, certainly the loudest part, and they are a tangible demonstration of the weapons that the Furnace and its cannon casting pit made over it’s 150 year lifetime. Although there was no large battle at the furnace during the civil war, it was in use and there were elements of both armies in the area and there might well have been skirmishing.

The skirmish opens with a loud volley of musket fire. These are matchlock muskets appropriate to the period. The matchlock is fired using a hemp taper or ‘match’ soaked in saltpetre that each soldier must keep smoldering. The matchlock was cheaper to produce than the flintlock and could easily be repaired by blacksmiths while the flintlock required a locksmith to fix it. We proved this a couple of years ago when Robert was asked to repair one of the musket mechanisms on his portable forge.

The cannon reply with a barrage. Well a barrage of smoke and noise even if it was only two guns.

The pike soldiers advance towards the cannon.

Leaving those who have fallen as they go and closing ranks to fill the holes.

The slow rate of fire from the cannon was always going to mean that they were overrun and their crews were rapidly despatched by the decimated pike and musket men.

The audience thoroughly appreciated the informative entertainment. At the conclusion of the skirmish those still standing reform before the final command, The Dead May Rise…..